Crime & Courts

No one injured in shooting at Anchorage car wash; two people arrested

A woman washing her car was unhurt after bullets were fired toward the Mountain View Car Wash on Monday night, Anchorage police said.

Dobson L. Leifi, 22, was in the back seat of a tan Toyota when he fired several rounds toward the car wash at 344 Commercial Drive around 8 p.m., police said.

It’s unclear if the woman was targeted or knew Leifi or 35-year-old Alexander Ellerbe Jr., who was driving the vehicle, police said in an online alert.

A nearby detective saw a vehicle matching witness descriptions and alerted patrol officers, who tried to stop the Toyota near Bragaw Street and Richmond Avenue, police said. Ellerbe continued to drive until the Toyota crashed into an alleyway fence on the 600 block of Klevin Street. Ellerbe, Leifi and two other passengers fled on foot.

Leifi ran into an apartment on the 600 block of North Flower Street. Police said the woman who lived there was home at the time but did not hear him enter because she was in a room away from the front door. She did not know Leifi but found him in her bathroom, police said.

Leifi and three other people were detained nearby, police said. Ellerbe is facing charges of reckless driving, failure to stop and criminal mischief. Leifi is facing two charges of misconduct involving a weapon, assault, criminal trespass and reckless endangerment.

The other two passengers are not facing charges and were released after an interview, police said. The vehicle was towed for evidence and police said the license plates were found to match another vehicle.

[Because of a high volume of comments requiring moderation, we are temporarily disabling comments on many of our articles so editors can focus on the coronavirus crisis and other coverage. We invite you to write a letter to the editor or reach out directly if you’d like to communicate with us about a particular article. Thanks.]

Tess Williams

Tess Williams is a reporter focusing on breaking news and public safety. Before joining the ADN in 2019, she was a reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Contact her at twilliams@adn.com.

ADVERTISEMENT